Slate-lorry.



D. F. LEPLEY.

Patented Feb. 28, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Attorneys D. P. LEPLEY.

SLATE LORRY.

APPLICATION TILED SEPT. 18 1914.

Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

3 SHEETS--SHEET 2.

Attorneys D. P. LEPLEY.

SLATE LORRY. APPLICATION FILED SBPT.18 1914 Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3v m gmn Witnesses Attorneys 1 t eir saw anion DANIELLEPLEY, OF CONNELLSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

SLATE-Loner.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 23, 1915..

Application filed September 18, 1914. Serial No. 862,389.

' 2 a all whom it may concern:

and useful Slate-Lorry, of which the follow- 1 ing is a specification.

The device forming the sub ect matter of this application is a lorry orconveyer adapted to be employed for handling slate in connection withntiining operations and under other oil-cums nices in which a. device ofthe type hereinafter described may be useful.

One object oi present invention is to provide a novel means wherebythrough the iustrumentality of? a single element, the gate latch and thegate may be controlled.

Another object of the invention is to provide novel means whereby thegate latch and the gate of the receptacle may be operated, irrespectiveof the position of the receptacle, when the receptacle 1S rotated todischarge either irifront or at one side of the truck on which thereceptacle is rotatable.

Another object of the invention is to prride a device of this type inwhich all of the controlling mechanisms may be handled 3 by a singleoperator without changing his position materially upon the support ngtruck.

It is within the scope of the inventionto ii'nprovc generally and toenhance the utility of devices of that type to which the presentinvention appertains.

which will appear as the description proreeds, the invention resides inthe combination and arrangement of parts and in the details ofconstruction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood thatchanges in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosedcanbe made within the scope of what is claimed without cleparting fromthe spirit ofthe invention In the accompanying drawings z-F1gure 1 showsthe invention inside elevation, parts being broken away; 'Fig. 2 is anend elevation; Fig. is atop plan.

in carrying out the invention there is pro- \idcd. a truck 1 of anydesired form and embodying a main frame 2 carrying wheels :ulapted totraverse a track. The main frame 2 of the truck 1 supports a platform 4.

The invention comprises a. suitable means 5 for: controlling the brake(not shown), a controller 6 and other appurtenances usually iound upondevices of this type, the elements in question being so located thattheymay be manipulated conveniently by a person standing o'nfthc rearportion of the platform 4:; Supported by the main frame and locatedadjacent the forward end of the machine is an annular track 7 uponwhichis rotatable a turntable 8 journaled on an uptstanding tubular shaft 9connected at its lower end with the annular track 7 or with anyappropriate or convenient portion of the main frame 2. Hinged as shownat 10 to the turntable 8 is a receptacle 11, the bottom 12 of which isdownwardly and forwardly inclined. llhe position of the bottom 12 of thereceptacle 11 with respect to the horizontal is adjusted by means of aturnbuckle 14 or an equivalent structure forming an operative connectionbetween the receptacle 11 and the turntable 8, as clearly shown inFig. 1. [i

Mounted on the receptacle 11 adjacent the forward end thereof arebearings 15 in which is mounted to rock a horizontally disposedshaft 16.Secured as shown at 17 to the shaft 16 is a vertically swinging gate18-,

constituting'a closure for the forward end yoke 24 carrying a fulcrumpin 25 upon which is pivoted intermediate its ends, for swingingmovement parallel to the gate 18, a latch lever 26. One end of the latchlever 26 is adapted to look behind the lip 23 of the keeper 21 when thesaid end of the latch lever moves upwardly, and the other end of thelatch lever-is adapted to lock behind the lip 22 on the keeper 20 whenthe said end of the latch lever moves downwardly, all of which will beobvious from Fig. 2. The upper edges of the keepers 29 and 21 arebeveled as shown at 27, so that when the gate 18 moves downwardly to aclosed position, the latch lever 26 will engage automatically with thekeepers 20 and 21. Secured to one end of the shaft 16 which supports thegate 18 is a rearwardly extended crank arm 28.

Mounted upon the platform 4 adjacent the rear end of the machine is asupplemental frame 29 in which is journaled a horiwardly in tangentialcontact with a horizontally disposed idler 37 supported upon a standard38. Thence, the said end of the flexible element 36 passes about avertically from the idler'40 and is trained in one d1 20 rection aroundthe drum 35 onthesha'ft'34. The other end of the flexible element 361s";

trained upon a horizontally disposed idler 39 mounted similarly to theidler 37. From the idler 39 the said end of the flexible element 36passes about a vertically disposed idler 42 upheld for rotation on astandard 43 and from the idler 4:2, the end under consideration istrained about the drum 35 in an opposite direction to that end of theflexible element which extends upwardly from the idler 40.

From the foregoingit will be obvious that the flexible element36 may beactuated by a gear train comprising the shaft 30, the pinion 32, thegear wheel 33, the shaft 34 and the drum 35 to rotate the turntable 8and consequently to effect a swinging of the receptacle 1-1 in ahorizontal direction, either to the right or to the left of the line ofadvance of the truck 1.

Journaled in the supplemental frame 29 is an actuating shaft 44, rotatedby a crank 45 or the like; the shaft 44 carrying a p1nion 46'meshin intoagear wheel 47 secured to a shaft 48 ]0llII1-Ll8d ln the supplementalframe 29. Secured to the shaft 48 is a drum 49 to which is secured oneend of a flexible element 50. From the drum 49, the flexible element '50extends downwardly over an idler 51 supported for rotation on a standard52. From the idler 51, the flexible elen e nt 50 extends forwardly in ahorizontal direction across the upper edge of an idler '53, the idler 53being vertically disposed and being journaled on the machine frame.Thence, the flexible element 50 extends downwardly and toward thelongitudinal center of the machine around an idler 54, journaled forrotation on the machine frame and inclined with respect to thehorizontal, as Fig. 1 will clearly show. From the idler 54, the flexibleelement 50 extends upwardly around a vertically disposed, framejournaled idler 55, the flexible element passing thence upwardly throughthe tubular shaft 9 and around an upright idler 56 journaled on an anglebracket 57 secured to the bottom 12 of the receptacle 11 and extendedtransversely of the receptacle. From the idler 56 the flexible element50 passes around an idler 58 journaled on the laterally protruding endof the angle bracket 57 and from the idler 58 the flexible elementextends upwardly around an idler 59 journaled on the rear end of thecrank 28-on the shaft 16. From the idler 59 the flexible element extendsover an idler 60 carried by the shaft 16, theextremity of the flexibleelement 50 .beii'igdownwardly prolonged and being ania: disposed idler40 journaled on a standard 41 carried by the platform 4. The said end ofthe flexible element is extended upwardly j The" flexible element 50 maybe reeled in ',through-, .t;he medium of a gear train comprisin wheel eshaft 44, the pinion 46, the gear the shaft 48 and the drum 49. Whenvthe flexible element thus is actuated, theilatch lever :26 is tilted onits fulcrum 25 so? a s'f .to"disengage the opposite ends of the latchlever simultaneously from the keepers 20 and 21. A continued pull uponthe flexible element 50 will effect a downward swinging movement of thecrank arm 28 and a consequent rotation of the shaft 16, the gate 18being swung to an open position. A single operation, therefore, servesat once to unlatch the gate 18 and teswing the same to. an openposition. When the flexible element 50 is slacked away, the gate 18 willswing downwardly into the closed position shown in Fig. 1, the oppositeends of the latch lever 20 traversing the beveled edges 27 of thekeepers 20 and 21 and ultimately interlocking with the lips 22 and 23 ofthe respective keepers in a manner which will be entirely obvious whenFig. 1 is compared with Fig. 2.

It is to be observed that the construction of the operating means issuch that the gate may be swung to an open positinn and be closed,irrespective of the angle defined by the receptacle 11 and the line ofadvance of the truck, the gate operating means being effective when thereceptacle discharges toward the front of the machine 'or laterallytoward the sides thereof, it being possible to swing the conveyer to oneside or to the other by manipulating the tu. .table 8 from the shaft 30and attendant mechanisms, in the manner hereinbefore set forth. Notingparticularly Fig. 3 it will be seen that all of the various initialelements whereby the operator controls the movement of the actuatedparts are located in compact form near the rear of the platform 4 andwithin the reach of the operator.

Having thus described what is claimed is 1. In a device of the classdescribed, a truck; a turntable mounted to agate therethe invention,

for actuating the latch and moving the gate to an open position; andindependent mechanisms located to the rear of the receptacle foroperating each of said means.

2. In a device of the class described, a truck; a receptacle mounted forrotatory movement but fixed against vertical movement on the "truck; ashaft journaled on the receptacle and provided with a rearwardlyextended crank arm; a gate attached to the shaft; a latch bar fulcrumedintermediate its endson the gate; keepers on the receptacle andcooperating respectively with the upper and lower edges of the latch;

a flexible element secured to one end of the latch means on the crankarm for receiving the intermediate portion of the flexible element; andmeans for actuating the flexible element independently of the movementof the receptacle.

3. In a device of the class described, a truck; a turntable mounted torotate there on; a receptacle carried by the turntable; a movable gatefor the receptacle; a latch on the gate/and cooperating with thereceptacle; a supplemental frame on the truck; shafts journaled on thesupplemental frame; and flexible elements, one of which elements formsan operative connection between one shaft and the turntable, the otherof which elements forms an 0 erative connection between the other shatand the latch.

4. In a device of the class described, a truck; a turntable journaledthereon; a receptacle carried by the turntable; a. gate for thereceptacle; a flexible element opera-- tavely connected with the gate;means for guiding the flexible element through the turntable at thecenter of rotation of the turntable; means for actuating the turntable;and means for actuating the flexible element.

I 5. In a device of the class described, a truck; a turntable journaledthereon; a re ceptacle carried by the turntable; a gate for thereceptacle; a latch on the gate and coacting with the receptacle; :1flexible ele ment connected with the latch; means for guiding theflexible element through the turntable at the center of rotation of theturntable; means for actuating the turn table; and means for actuatingthe flexible element.

6. In a device of the class described, a truck; a turntable journaledthereon; a re ceptaclc carried by the turntable; a shaft mounted to rockon the receptacle; a gate attached to the shaft; a latch on the gate andcoacting with the receptacle; a crank arm secured to the shaft; aflexible element connected with the latch; means on the crank arm forreceiving the intermediate portion of the flexible element; means forguiding the'flexible element through the turntable at the center ofrotatien through the turntable; means for actuating the fiexiv bleelement; and means for actuating the turntable. v i

7. In. a device of the class described; a truck; a tubular shaft carriedthereby; a turntable rotatable about the shaft; a re ceptacle carried bythe turntable; a shaft journaled on the receptacle; a gate attached tosaid shaft; a latch carried by the gate and coacting with thereceptacle; a crank arm carried by the last specified shaft; 2 flexibleelement secured to the latch; means on the crank arm for receiving theintermediate portion of the flexible element; means for guiding theflexible element through the tubular shaft; means for actuating theflexible element; and means for rotating the turntable. Y

In testimony that I claim the'fcregoing as my own, 1 have hereto aflixcdmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

DANIEL F, LEPLEY=- Witnesses:

Ivr E. Srnreon, PHELOMENA A. Rocnwnrinn

